Prevalence of Henneguya branchialis in Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) in Ismailia, Egypt

This study was aimed at isolation and identification of respiratory form of henneguyosis in naturally infested catfish Clarias gariepinus. For this purpose, 400 live catfish C. gariepinus were randomly collected from different water ecosystems and private fish farms in Ismailia governorate, Egypt. The clinical signs, postmortem lesions and parasitological parameters were investigated. The clinical signs and the postmortem examinations revealed respiratory manifestation, sluggish swimming, loss of appetite, congestion on gills and presence of cyst like structures on the gill filaments and the dendritic organs. Parasitological examination revealed great numbers of spores in the milky fluid inside the cysts, which were identified as Henneguya branchialis. Results revealed that 17.5% of the examined fish were infested with henneguyosis and the highest rate of infestation was found in spring season and in female specimens more than males. The parasitic prevalence in catfish samples caught from natural water was greater than samples from fish farms. These results concluded that Henneguyosis infection causes physical damage in gills and accessory respiratory organs, which makes infected fish unmarketable and ineligible for human consumption. © 2010 Friends Science Publishers